Microsoft Excel

Contents
Understanding Workbooks ................................................................................................................................ 1
Navigating in a File ............................................................................................................................................ 2
Typing Text or Numbers Into A Worksheet ....................................................................................................... 3
Typing Simple Formulas In A Worksheet .......................................................................................................... 4
Filling A Series ................................................................................................................................................... 5
Inserting And Deleting Worksheets ................................................................................................................... 6
Copying A Worksheet ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Renaming A Worksheet ..................................................................................................................................... 8
Moving or Copying A Sheet To Another Workbook ........................................................................................... 9
Changing Worksheet Tab Colours .................................................................................................................. 10
Grouping Worksheets ...................................................................................................................................... 11
Freezing Rows And Columns .......................................................................................................................... 12
Selecting Ranges .............................................................................................................................................................. 13
Selecting Rows ................................................................................................................................................ 14
Selecting Columns ........................................................................................................................................... 15
Understanding Formatting................................................................................................................................................. 16
Applying General Formatting ........................................................................................................................... 17
Changing Fonts ............................................................................................................................................... 18
Changing Font Size ......................................................................................................................................... 19
Understanding Borders .................................................................................................................................... 20
Applying A Border To A Range ....................................................................................................................... 21
Wrapping And Merging Text ............................................................................................................................ 22
PRACTICE EXERCISE .......................................................................................................................................... 23
PRACTICE EXERCISE .......................................................................................................................................... 24
PRACTICE EXERCISE .......................................................................................................................................... 25
Understanding Functions .................................................................................................................................................. 26
Using The SUM Function To Add .................................................................................................................... 27
Calculating An Average ................................................................................................................................... 28
Finding A Minimum Value ................................................................................................................................ 29
Common Error Messages ................................................................................................................................ 30
PRACTICE EXERCISE .......................................................................................................................................... 31
Understanding Quick Analysis .......................................................................................................................................... 32
Quick Formatting ............................................................................................................................................. 33
Quick Charting ................................................................................................................................................. 34
Quick Totals ..................................................................................................................................................... 35
Quick Sparklines .............................................................................................................................................. 36
Quick Tables .................................................................................................................................................... 37
Practice Exercise ............................................................................................................................................. 38
Printing A Worksheet ........................................................................................................................................................ 39

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 Microsoft Excel

The Charting Process ....................................................................................................................................................... 40

Choosing The Right Chart ............................................................................................................................... 41
Using A Recommended Chart ......................................................................................................................... 42
Creating A New Chart From Scratch ............................................................................................................... 43
Working With An Embedded Chart .................................................................................................................. 44
Resizing A Chart .............................................................................................................................................. 45
Repositioning A Chart ...................................................................................................................................... 46
Printing An Embedded Chart ........................................................................................................................... 47
Creating A Chart Sheet.................................................................................................................................... 48
Changing The Chart Type ............................................................................................................................... 49
Changing The Chart Layout ............................................................................................................................ 50
Changing The Chart Style ............................................................................................................................... 51
Printing A Chart Sheet ..................................................................................................................................... 52
Embedding A Chart Into A Worksheet ............................................................................................................. 53
Deleting A Chart .............................................................................................................................................. 54
PRACTICE EXERCISE .......................................................................................................................................... 55
PRACTICE EXERCISE SAMPLE ............................................................................................................................ 56

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Microsoft Excel

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 Microsoft Excel

UNDERSTANDING WORKBOOKS
In Microsoft Excel the data you enter, whether it sheets) that have been ruled into columns and
consists of numbers, text, or formulas, is stored rows. Before using Excel it is helpful to know what
in a file known as a workbook. Workbooks are the various parts and elements that make up a
just like huge electronic books with pages (or workbook are.

5 6

A worksheet (or page) in a workbook contains 16,384 columns that are labelled using letters of
the alphabet. The first column in a worksheet is labelled column A, while the last is labelled XFD

A worksheet (or page) in a workbook contains 1,048,576 rows that are labelled using numbers
from 1 to 1,048,576

Where a column and row intersect we get what is known as a cell. You enter your data into
these cells. Each cell in a worksheet can hold up to 32,767 characters although it would be
unrealistic to ever push it this far. Cells are referred to by their column and row labels. For
example, in the screen above the cell we are pointing to is C11 this reference is known as the
cell address and is most important as it is frequently used in commands and formulas

When you start typing something, you want it to appear somewhere in the worksheet. As a
consequence when the Status Bar shows Ready mode, at least one cell in the worksheet will be
highlighted this is known as the active cell. In the screen above, the active cell is cell A1
notice that the column label and the row label also appears coloured to indicate the active cell.
You can have more than one active cell when this occurs you have what is known as a range

A workbook (as you would expect) is made up of pages known as worksheets. You can have as
many sheets in a workbook as your computer resources can accommodate. As a default, a new
blank workbook normally has 3 worksheets labelled Sheet1, Sheet2, and Sheet3. Of course
these labels are pretty boring and meaningless and can be changed to something more relevant

The Insert Worksheet button here will insert another worksheet into the current workbook
should you need it

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 Microsoft Excel

NAVIGATING IN A FILE

Arrow Move one cell to the right, left, up or down

Keys

Tab Move once cell to the right

Ctrl+Home To beginning file

Ctrl+End To end of typed information

Home Beginning of a line

End End of a line

Page Down Down one screen

Page Up Up one screen

F5 To a specific page

Appear at the right and on the bottom of the screen. You may click
Scroll bars
the scroll arrows, drag the scroll box or click the scroll bar to move
through the document.

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 Microsoft Excel

TYPING TEXT OR NUMBERS INTO A WORKSHEET

Generally when you start a new spreadsheet you wish to enter the data active. This can be done
project, the first task is to enter some headings in a number of ways but the most common is to
into rows and columns. To type anything into a click in it first before typing.
worksheet you need to make the cell into which

Try This Yourself:

Before you begin ensure
that there is a blank

Click in cell A3 to make

this the active cell, type 1 2
Garden Settings and
press
3
When you press the
next cell down
automatically becomes
the active cell. By the
way, even though the text
looks like it is in cells A3
and B3 it really only is in
cell A3 since there is
nothing in B3, Excel
allows the spill over to be
displayed giving the 4
illusion it is in 2 cells
Type Pool Covers and
press
Repeat the above steps
and enter the remaining
text in column A as shown
Click in cell B2 to make
this the active cell, type
UK and press 5

When you press the

cell to the right becomes

Enter the remaining text in

row 2 as shown

To save
enter atext:
new document: In the exercise above we have or named the
to make
1.1. Click
Clickonthe
thecell
Filepointer
Tab on the
anddesired cell and
select Save As workbook
adjacent cellsGarden Department
active. You can simplySalesuseandthe
type the required information filed
mouse it inand
C:\Course Files
click in the forif Excel
cells 2010.
you want or
2. Locate the storage folder in the Navigation Each time you
even press the start
arrow Excel
keysittowill mostup,
move likely
2. pane
Press , an arrow key or to assume you
down, left, orwant
right.to file your workbooks in a
confirm
3. Type thename
a File data entry and on
and click to move
[Save]the cell folder called Documents which is associated
pointer to another cell with the user name you use on the computer.

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 Microsoft Excel

TYPING SIMPLE FORMULAS IN A WORKSHEET

The whole idea behind Excel is to get it to even other formulas, already in the worksheet
perform calculations. In order for it to do this you using the cell addresses of these numbers rather
need to type formulas in the worksheet. Usually than the actual value in them. Formulas must be
these formulas reference existing numbers, or typed beginning with an equal sign (=).

2
Try This Yourself:
Continue using the previous
file with this exercise...

Click in cell B8 to make this

the active cell
Type =B3+B4+B5+B6+B7 and
examine what is happening on
the screen
3
Press to enter the formula
and move to the next cell
Notice that a calculation has
now been performed. We have
entered a formula in B8 that

B5, B6, and B7 and show them

Ensure that C8 is the active

5
cell, type =SUM(C3:C7) and
press
This is an alternative type of

Again a calculation will appear

Click in cell B8 and notice that

the formula you typed appears
in the Formula Bar, while the
result of the calculation 6
appears in the worksheet
Repeat step 5 with cell C8

Click on the File Tab

and select Save to save the
additions that have been made

To enter a formula: Operators

1. Click the cell pointer on the desired cell and + Addition
type the formula commencing with = - Subtraction
2. Press , an arrow key or to * Multiplication
confirm the data entry and to move the cell / Division
pointer to another cell

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 Microsoft Excel

FILLING A SERIES
A series refers to a sequence of ordered entries reducing the amount of time taken for data entry,
in adjacent cells, such as the days of the week or and ensuring that the spelling is correct. Excel
months of the year. The fill technique can be provides days and months as special built-in series
used to create these in a worksheet for you, that you can access.

2
Try This Yourself:
Before starting this exercise
you MUST open the file E707
Filling_1.xlsx...

Click on cell A4

Move the mouse pointer to the

small square (the fill handle)
at the bottom right corner of
the cell until the mouse pointer 3
appears as a thin, black cross
Drag the mouse pointer to
column F
Excel will fill the range with the
first
Click on cell A5 and repeat
steps 2 and 3 to create the
series of months with their full
names
You can also fill more than one 6

Select the range A6:A12

Repeat steps 2 and 3 to fill

across to column F
Examine each of the series
created by the filling process

To fill a series: As you drag the fill handle across, a tool tip
1. Click on the first cell in the series appears below the fill pointer displaying the
current value in the series. This is really
2. Drag from the fill handle across as many
handy when you want to end on a particular
columns as required
month, day or value.

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 Microsoft Excel

INSERTING AND DELETING WORKSHEETS

worksheets inserted. However, remember that
workbook, you may find that there are some
worksheets that can be deleted. Alternatively, undone using Undo, so always save your
you may find that you need additional blank workbook before making these changes.

1
Try This Yourself:
Before starting this exercise
you MUST open the file
E1324 Worksheet

Examine the workbook it 2

currently contains one
worksheet named Sheet1
Click on the New Sheet icon
at the end of the worksheet
tabs
A new worksheet named
Sheet2 will be inserted. You 3
can also use the keyboard
shortcut...
Press + to insert
another new worksheet
This sheet is named Sheet3
and is inserted before the 4
currently selected sheet.

Right-click on the Sheet3

worksheet tab to display the
shortcut menu
Select Delete to remove the
worksheet
As the worksheet contains no
data, the sheet will be
deleted immediately. If a
worksheet contains data, 5
Excel will ask you to confirm
your actions...
Repeat steps 4 and 5 to
delete Sheet2

To insert a new worksheet into a workbook: To insert a worksheet between existing

Click on the New Sheet icon to the right of worksheets, right-click on the worksheet tab
the worksheet tabs before which you want to insert a new sheet,
then click on Insert to display the Insert
To delete a worksheet from a workbook:
dialog box. Select Worksheet and click on
Right click on the worksheet tab, then select [OK].
Delete

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 Microsoft Excel

COPYING A WORKSHEET
Just as you can copy the contents of cells and have a budget workbook that contains data for
ranges within a worksheet, you can duplicate several departments, you can create a worksheet
worksheets within a workbook. This technique is for the first department and then copy it to create
ideal for replicating layouts. For example, if you identical worksheets for other departments.

1
Try This Yourself:
Continue using the previous
file with this exercise, or open
the file E1324 Worksheet
Techniques_1.xlsx...

Right-click on Sheet1 to
display the worksheet shortcut
menu
Select Move or Copy to
display the Move or Copy
dialog box 2
Click on Create a copy so it
appears ticked, then click on
[OK]
The new worksheet is named

from this worksheet

by deleting unwanted data...
Select the range B7:E9, then
press to clear it
Repeat step 4 to clear the
ranges B14:E23, G7:J9 and 3
G14:J23, then press +
to return to cell A1
Now we can copy this
l
worksheets...
Repeat steps 1 to 3 three
times to create three copies of
6
the template worksheet this
time without data
The final worksheet should be
named Sheet1 (5)

To copy a worksheet: You can copy the current worksheet using

1. Right-click on the worksheet to copy, then the HOME tab by clicking on Format in the
select Move or Copy Cells group, then clicking on Move or Copy
Sheet.
2. Click on Create a copy so it appears ticked
3. Click on [OK] The Before sheet options in the Move or
Copy dialog box allow you to position the
copied worksheet where you want.

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 Microsoft Excel

RENAMING A WORKSHEET
By default, Excel names worksheets as Sheet1, makes it much easier to understand the purpose of
Sheet2, Sheet3, etc. These names are fine if you a worksheet. You can also adjust the horizontal
are not planning to share the workbook, but scroll bar to make room for longer, more
changing these to something more relevant meaningful worksheet names.

1
Try This Yourself:
Continue using the previous
file with this exercise, or open
the file E1324 Worksheet
Techniques_2.xlsx...

Point to the vertical dots 3

between the sheet names and
the horizontal scroll bar, as
shown
The pointer will change to a
double-headed arrow...
Click and drag the bar across
to the right, to the end of 4
column L, then release the
mouse button
Double-click on Sheet1 (5) to
select the worksheet tab name
This will also place it into edit
mode 5
Type Comms, then press

Repeat steps 3 and 4 to

rename the other worksheets:
Sheet1 (4) Admin
Sheet1 (3) Shop
Sheet1 (2) IT
Sheet1 Maintenance

To rename a worksheet: You can rename a worksheet by

1. Double click on the current name on the right-clicking on the worksheet tab to display
worksheet tab the shortcut menu and clicking on Rename.
2. Type the new name and press A worksheet tab name can contain up to 31
characters including spaces, but it is better to
keep it short and succinct.

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